Smith has been solid for the Chiefs for four years now, leading them to the playoffs three times. In 2016, the Chiefs won the division and Smith threw for 3,502 yards, 15 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also completed 67 percent of his passes.

So there's nothing wrong with Smith being the starting quarterback, he deserves it, but it still truly is a shame because Mahomes has been destroying dudes in the preseason.

Mahomes has been doing this for years, as last season he threw for 5,052 yards and 41 touchdowns IN ONLY 12 GAMES​​ at Texas Tech.

So, we know Mahomes has the talent to perform at the highest level, but for now he won't be given the chance to do it in regular season games. Alex Smith will probably be a good quarterback again in 2017 and maybe that's all the Chiefs need, but maybe Mahomes will see the field and blow everyone away.

Anyway, for now, Mahomes will be confined to the sideline and the clipboard when the season starts.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chiefs running back Spencer Ware could require season-ending surgery after tearing one ligament in his right knee and damaging another during Friday night’s preseason game in Seattle.
Ware had an MRI on Saturday that revealed the extent of the injury.
Chiefs trainer Rick Burkholder said Sunday that Ware tore the posterior cruciate ligament, an injury that itself is not always season-ending. But Burkholder said Ware also damaged the lateral collateral ligament, and the combination of injuries will likely require surgery.
Chiefs reporter BJ Kissel tweeted the team will exhaust all options, but medical staff believes Ware will miss the 2017-18 season.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid confirmed that third-round draft pick Kareem Hunt will be the starter for the season opener on Sept. 7 at New England. Charcandrick West and C.J. Spiller will likely serve as backups.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ final preseason game will be one to remember for rookie quarterback Patrick Mahomes, as he’ll make his first career start under center, Head Coach Andy Reid announced on Sunday.
Mahomes and the Chiefs close out the preseason on Thursday night against the Tennessee Titans at Arrowhead Stadium.
Quarterbacks Tyler Bray and Joel Stave will also play against the Titans, according to Reid, though he didn’t suggest how long each would play.
While Thursday’s contest is still just a preseason game, Mahomes is excited about the opportunity.
“You prepare hard every single week as if you were going to be the starter, but this week is going to be special just to get that first start under my belt,” Mahomes said. “It’s a preseason game, but we’ll all be treating it like it’s a real one. It’s an opportunity for a lot of guys to get some reps and they’re going to be playing hard every single play.”
Mahomes will likely lead much of the second-team offense on the field on Thursday as most of the starters focus their attention to the regular season opener at New England on Sept. 7.
One of those players getting the game off is quarterback Alex Smith, but he intends to be a resource for Mahomes and the other quarterbacks even though he’s not hitting the field himself.
“I’m still in that quarterback room and still a teammate,” Smith said. “These guys are getting ready to play, so I’m going to be respectful of that and helpful in any way that I can.”
Mahomes has put together a strong preseason to begin his rookie campaign and will look to build on that against Tennessee.
“I feel like I’ve gotten better every single time I’ve been out there,” Mahomes said. “That’s with learning the playbook more and more, trying to get the protections right and just trying to do everything right. It’s a process. You have to come in every single day and work hard to get in that meeting room, to get in that film room and do whatever you can - the mental side of it as well as the physical side.”
Catch Mahomes and the rest of the Chiefs as they wrap up on the preseason on Thursday night at Arrowhead Stadium. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. CT on KCTV5 and 101.1 The Fox.

The Kansas City Chiefs have whittled their roster down to just 53 players—releasing 30 on Saturday, trading one, and also giving out four injury designations.
Overall, this roster is very similar to the one that went 12-4 a year ago and won the AFC West, considering 43 of the 53 players were on the team last year.
The 10 new additions include five of the six rookie draft picks (Patrick Mahomes, Tanoh Kpassagnon, Kareem Hunt, Jehu Chesson, Ukeme Eligwe), three players that were traded for (Kevin Pierre-Louis, Reggie Ragland, Cam Erving), and two free agents (Bennie Logan, Roy Miller).
With one of the deepest and most-talented rosters in the league, and with the continuous process of bringing in competition—getting to this point still wasn’t an easy one.
“We’re excited about the roster,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach told the media Saturday afternoon. “We think we have a lot of talent and we think the roster we’ve been able to compile the past four years is definitely good enough to get to where we need to go.
“When we first got here, we had a bunch of roster spots where we felt like, ‘let’s just go for the talent, and then we’ll work on them because we’re young and we’re turning this thing over.’
“Now, we’ve been able to get really good players in here and they know what they’re doing, so it’s a little bit more difficult (to cut the roster down). Your standards have changed, obviously, the deeper your team is.”
As we stand now, here’s a breakdown of the Chiefs’ roster:

QUARTERBACKS (3)

After leading the Chiefs to a 41-20 record as the starting quarterback over the past four seasons, which also includes three playoff appearances, Alex Smith is ready for his fifth season with head coach Andy Reid and company.
It’s worth noting that during the four playoff games, despite having just a 1-3 record overall, Smith completed 63 percent of his passes, averaged 247 yards per game with seven touchdowns and just two interceptions in those games.
It’s been widely discussed by those both inside and outside of the organization, but Smith had the best offseason and training camp of his time in Kansas City. He’s taken it up a notch.
Rookie first-round pick Patrick Mahomes, who had a great preseason, solidified himself as the No. 2 quarterback heading into the season. Fifth-year player Tyler Bray will be the No. 3.

RUNNING BACKS (3)

The Chiefs currently have three running backs on the roster with fourth-year player Charcandrick West, rookie Kareem Hunt, and veteran fullback Anthony Sherman.
On Saturday morning, Veach spoke about the fact that there are only two true running backs on the roster right now. He did say that he expects there will be three by Thursday’s game against the New England Patriots, and one might be veteran C.J. Spiller, who was released on Saturday.
“I actually had the chance to talk to [Spiller] today and as you know with him being a veteran, he’s not subject to waivers,” Veach explained. “There’s a possibility that [Spiller] may end up on our roster. Again, we’ve had that conversation. We’ll continue to monitor the situation around the league and see what’s out there, and what’s available.
“There’s certainly a likely scenario where [Spiller] is on our team.”
Reid has stated before that Hunt will begin the season as the starter.
The Chiefs moved up in the draft last Spring to select Hunt— Toledo’s all-time leading rusher who finished with 4,945 yards and 44 touchdowns—in the third round after trading fourth, and seventh round picks.
Hunt, the 5-feet-11, 216-pound playmaker, was the first running back selected by the Chiefs since Knile Davis in 2013.
Hunt carried the ball 18 times for 79 yards this preseason.

WIDE RECEIVERS (6)

The average age of the Chiefs’ receivers is just 23.5 years old, and fourth-year player Albert Wilson is the old man in the room at just 25 years old.
All that youth and ability is headlined by second-year speedster Tyreek Hill, who had 61 receptions for 593 yards and six touchdowns to lead the Chiefs last year.
Hill proved to be one of the NFL’s elite young playmakers by displaying electric speed and a game-changing ability every time he touched the ball.
Third-year player Chris Conley, who has assumed much of the leadership role vacated by Jeremy Maclin’s after his release last spring, is another player to watch for a breakout season in 2017.
Conley had 44 receptions for 530 yards last year.

TIGHT ENDS (3)

Last year, Travis Kelce was named a first-team All-Pro for the first time in his career. He caught 85 passes for 1,125 yards and four touchdowns.
Regarding receiving yards, Kelce’s 2016 campaign actually ranks as the 16th best season for a tight end in NFL history. He was that good, and by this point, everybody knows about him.
But a guy who is in line for a breakout season after a fantastic camp and offseason is fourth-year player Demetrius Harris, who caught just 17 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown last season.
Harris has been a standout all offseason and looks to be the No. 2 tight end heading into the season.

OFFENSIVE LINE (9)

As of now, the Chiefs are returning every offensive lineman who played a snap for them last season, and four of the five starting spots have remained the same guys throughout offseason workouts.
At left guard—whether it’s Zach Fulton, who started 12 games last year, Bryan Witzmann, who has spent the majority of the time there this offseason, or Parker Ehinger, who started four but was lost midway through the season with a knee injury and has worked his way back, there’s plenty of reason to feel good about this group.
Three of the starters—left tackle Eric Fisher, right guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and right tackle Mitch Schwartz—are all on their second contracts. They have proven to play at a high level.
The fourth—Morse—has proven to be one of the league’s better (and more athletic) centers.
The Chiefs also recently made a trade with the Cleveland Browns to bring over former first-round pick Cam Erving, who was the No. 19 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft out of Florida State.
Erving has some versatility and is being looked at as a swing tackle for the Chiefs.

DEFENSIVE LINE (7)

If there’s one area of the Chiefs’ team that could look different in 2017, it’s the defensive line.
The Chiefs brought in veterans Bennie Logan and Roy Miller this offseason, and Allen Bailey returns from a pectoral injury that cost him most of last year.
Combine those three with second-year standout Chris Jones, who ranked No. 1 in the league last year among 3-4 defensive ends in pass-rushing productivity, according to Pro Football Focus, and Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Jarvis Jenkins and versatile rookie Tanoh Kpassagnon, there’s reason to feel good about the changes up front.
While most fans point to sacks as the statistic to determine the success of getting after the passer, the goal of these guys along the defensive line is simply to disrupt the play, and no 3-4 defensive end in the NFL last year was more disruptive than Jones, who is just 22 years old.
And at training camp, there may not have been a more disruptive player up front than Bennie Logan, who has been drawing rave reviews from his coaches and teammates since the pads came on at camp.

LINEBACKERS (9)

The two biggest storylines for the Chiefs at the linebacker position are the return of the franchise’s all-time leading tackler, Derrick Johnson, who had his season cut short a year ago because of a second ruptured Achilles tendon in three years, and the now fully-healthy Justin Houston getting back onto the field.
As a whole, the Chiefs defense allowed just 304 total points last year, which ranked sixth in the league, and that was without Houston for most of the year and Johnson for the last few games.
A healthy-Houston changes everything for what this group could become, and as Veach said earlier this week, it’s “night and day” with Houston this year compared to last.
After beginning last season on the practice squad, third-year player Ramik Wilson returns as the team’s third-leading tackler—finishing with 76 total tackles last year.
With veteran Tamba Hali beginning the season on the reserve/PUP list, which means he’ll miss at least the first six weeks of the season, the Chiefs will once again look to Dee Ford to provide some spark off the edge opposite of Houston.
The Chiefs have some nice depth on the inside with Kevin Pierre-Louis and rookie Ukeme Eligwe standing out during the preseason, and veteran Frank Zombo remains a steady presence.
According to PFF, Zombo was the fourth-best 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL during the preseason.
It’s also important to note the trade for former Buffalo Bills’ second-round pick Reggie Ragland, who was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year for Alabama in 2015.
Ragland, who is known as a run-stuffing thumper, missed all of his rookie season last year with a knee injury suffered early in training camp.

DEFENSIVE BACKS (10)

Since 2013, the Chiefs have played 64 regular season games, and over that time, the defense has allowed an opposing team to throw for more than 250 yards in the pass-happy NFL on just 20 occasions, which is fourth-fewest in the league during that stretch.
Overall, the Chiefs have allowed just 232 yards passing per game over that time, which ranks fifth-best in the NFL.
It’s an elite group headlined by two All-Pros in safety Eric Berry and cornerback Marcus Peters. Both of those guys could be argued are the best in the league at their respective positions.
Joining Berry at safety is a fantastic pair of veterans in Ron Parker, who led the NFL among safeties last year with eight passes defensed, and Daniel Sorensen, who had a hand in nine of the Chiefs’ league-leading 33 takeaways last season.
On the outside, Steven Nelson returns as the other top cornerback, and Phillip Gaines, Terrance Mitchell and Kenneth Acker all return with some experience.

SPECIALISTS (3)

Last Thursday against the Tennessee Titans, fourth-year kicker and former undrafted free agent Cairo Santos played for the first time all preseason because of an injured groin.
With the Chiefs releasing Sam Ficken, who was signed after Santos was injured at training camp, the arrow must be pointing up for Santos.
Against the Titans, Santos drilled a 48-yard field goal, but he did miss an extra point. It’s also worth noting that he did not handle kickoff duties in that game.
Colquitt, who was selected by the Chiefs in the third round (No. 99 overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft out of Tennessee, has played in 190 career regular season games over his 12 years with the Chiefs, which is the most of any player on the current roster.
An expert in pinning opposing teams back, Colquitt is an underrated weapon for the Chiefs’ defense.

The KC Chiefs roster cuts are in. You can see them right here or you can read what I think are the most interesting parts of the Chiefs cuts. This running back thing

The release of CJ Spiller was a surprise because he had a good offseason plus the Chiefs usually keep three backs and a fullback. They have just two backs (Kareem Hunt and Charcandrick West) and a fullback (Anthony Sherman) now. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a move here soon.
The counterpoint here is that I went back and looked at how many yards the third true running back on the roster had last year (by “true” I mean not Tyreek Hill or De’Anthony Thomas). It was Jamaal Charles with 40 rushing yards. Tamba Hali out at least six weeks

So Tamba says those things on Twitter before the season, he doesn’t participate in training camp or preseason and then the Chiefs put him on the shelf for at least six weeks of regular season action. The PUP list means he’s out for at least six weeks and possibly longer. I get the logic here because you want a veteran like Tamba fresh in the second half of the season but this whole situation is just odd. Only three tight ends

The Chiefs cut Sam Ficken, the kicker they signed after Santos went down with an injury. Santos returned in the preseason finale to miss an extra point but then make a field goal. So he must be good to go if they let Ficken go.Isaiah Battle traded to Seattle

Good job by GM Brett Veach getting something for Battle. In Kansas City, Battle will unfortunately be remembered as the guy who got the penalty on Patrick Mahomes’ first deep pass in the first preseason game. WRs Seantavius Jones and Marcus Kemp out

We talked about whether one of these two would make the roster. I thought they both had a shot but I wasn’t sure which existing receiver the Chiefs would cut. Turns out, they’re not cutting any existing receivers. They both could be practice squad candidates. Chiefs are heavy on the offensive line

They kept nine offensive linemen, including Jordan Devey and Parker Ehinger. This could be an area where they pluck someone if they need a roster spot for the waiver wire.

The Kansas City Chiefs surprisingly cut running back CJ Spiller at the roster cut down on Saturday. I didn’t see it coming because the Chiefs had just lost Spencer Ware for the season and Andy Reid noted the Chiefs running backs as a position of strength. I thought that meant CJ Spiller, too.
Perhaps it still could. Chiefs GM Brett Veach spoke to the media after cuts on Saturday and suggested that Spiller could very well come back to the Chiefs. In fact, he said there was a “likely scenario” where it happens.
“I actually had the chance to talk to C.J. today and as you know C.J., being a veteran in this league, is not subject to waivers and there’s a possibility that C.J. may end up on our roster. Again, we’ve had that conversation. We’ll continue to monitor the situation around the league and see what’s out there, what’s available. So there’s certainly a likely scenario where C.J. is on our team.”
So, what’s the deal? My first reaction when I saw he was cut is that the Chiefs could be signing him after Week 1. That’s because, if a veteran like Spiller is on the Chiefs roster Week 1, his salary for the season is guaranteed. However, if he signs after Week 1, it’s not guaranteed. A guy like Spiller with an injury history, I could see how that’s important.
As a counterpoint, Veach said that they wouldn’t let that cap rule stop them from signing a guy who they need to beat New England. So, who knows...
Another theory is maybe this is a numbers game. The Chiefs were making their cuts and needed the roster spot yesterday. And if they can’t find a back better than Spiller on the waiver wire, they go back to him. Veach did say that the “odds are likely” they’ll have three backs.

As expected, Chiefs say Alex Smith is ahead of Patrick Mahomes and it’s not close

KC Chiefs GM Brett Veach met with the media on Saturday and said that, while Patrick Mahomes is further along than they thought, Alex Smith remains “so far ahead” of Mahomes in certain areas of his game.
“Coach made a statement a few days back, there’s no gray area,” Veach told reporters on a Saturday conference call that I missed because the one-year old Heir To The Arrowhead Pride Empire was going completely insane because I wouldn’t let him watch Minions. “Alex is our quarterback. Alex is so far advanced from the mental side of things in regards to his ability to read coverages, to shift to better plays and really play the chess game. He’s so far ahead of what Pat is. I don’t think it’s even close right now.”
I believe Veach’s statement here to be true. I also believe Veach and the Chiefs were going to say this no matter what had transpired during the preseason. Big Red won’t stand for any drama. He shut down the quarterback controversy talk in his first presser after the draft. Look at Tamba Hali. There was a hint of drama with him before camp and we haven’t heard or seen Tamba since then (unless you’re on Twitter).
“But going back to Pat,” Veach continued, “the development he has made and the strides he has taken in those departments has exceeded our expectations to this point. So we’re excited where we are and again the longer that Alex and Pat are together, the better we will be.”
I think both of those things can be true. The Chiefs can believe Alex is so far ahead of him and they can also believe that Mahomes has exceed expectations. I hope that’s true because that’s all good news for the Chiefs.

The Kansas City Chiefs will be forming a 10-man practice squad at some point today. They can start doing so after 12 p.m. (Arrowhead Time).
The practice squad is made up of players who ... practice with the team! They’re not part of the 53-man roster but they are part of the team.
The Chiefs initial practice squad will likely be made up of the players that they cut on Saturday. The past few years the Chiefs first practice squad has been made up of all those players, and it makes sense why. They spent the entire offseason with the Chiefs. Somebody like WR Gehrig Dieter, for instance, is a perfect practice squad candidate as he developed a rapport with Patrick Mahomes but isn’t ready yet.
There are eligibility rules in involved, which you can read about here. Basically, this is available mostly to younger players without much or any NFL experience. That’s why you’ll see the Chiefs initial practice squad made up mostly of undrafted free agents and in perhaps one case a draft pick (Chiefs 2017 sixth round pick Leon McQuay, who was cut).Chiefs practice squad tracker

DB Akeem King is going to the Chiefs practice squad, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. This is not one of the Chiefs cuts so this is interesting. He’s a former safety who the Falcons tried to convert to corner but ended up cutting. More on him at The Falcoholic.

WR Gehrig Dieter is going to the Chiefs practice squad. He’s a former Alabama WR who developed a nice rapport with Patrick Mahomes.

WR Marcus Kemp landed on the Chiefs practice squad, according to Terez Paylor.

RB Devine Redding to the practice squad, per Terez. This was one we all predicted with the Chiefs running back situation.

Chiefs S Leon McQuay to the practice squad, per Terez. Called that one up above.

G Damien Mama to the practice squad, per Terez. He was one of the first players Andy Reid mentioned way back at the Chiefs rookie minicamp in May.

The Kansas City Chiefs are bringing back CJ Spiller on Sunday after cutting him on Saturday. The news is not yet official from the Chiefs but the always reliable Terez Paylor of the KC Star is reporting the news.

Well, that was weird. Spiller was a surprising cut on Saturday which left the Chiefs with just two running backs (Kareem Hunt, Charcandrick West). We all wondered what the heck was going on.

Chiefs GM Brett Veach and head coach Andy Reid both hinted that Spiller could be back. I wondered if they were going to bring him back next week after this Patriots game or if they had a trade partner for another back or they were waiting for someone else to be cut so they could sign them.
Whatever happened, Spiller is now back.